Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-22
and ordinary men seem very mild and tame


By noon the next day this process was
nearing its completion. A messenger gal
Hoped into town with the information that
the Union forces were coming, and would
arrive in the course of an hour or two.
aShash 500" said Kent, Strengthening him.
self up with a crushing dignity that Away,
formed q sure guage of the extent to which
inebriation had progressed SShash so
Troops she United Shtates bout to enter
shis lovely metropolis wish all pomp and
shircumshtance 'reaSsherted 'thority Shton
ishin event; wonderful 'casion Never hap
pened fore; probably never'll happen again.
Ought to be 'propriately celebrated, Abe.'
That gentleman made strong effort to
control joints which seemed unmanageable
and succeeded in assuming tolerable erect.
ness, while he blinked at his companion with
stolid gravity.
"Abc, shis ish great 'casion. Greatest in
she annalsh of she country. We're only
representatives government in she town.
Burden whole shing fallsh on us. Under
shtandi We mustn't do everyshing Under
shtandl Country 'spects every man to do his
duty. Underestimate"
Abe sank down on q bench, leaned his head
against the wall and looked at his companion
with one eye closed YEARLY.
"Yesshir,n Kent resumed, summoning up a
new supply of oratorical energy, and an Off
cial gravity beneath which his legs trembled
"Name shis towns London. Shame names
big town cross ocean. Lots history c'nected
wish name Shtacks an cords of it, Old
times when King wanted tcome t s'own
gain Lord Mayor went out t'meet him, wish
sthyle piled on bigger'n hayshtack. Fact
Clothes finer'n a peacock rendered him
keys, freedm city All shat short shing.
Yer impressive shpectacle Everybody felt
bettern for improvin sight Underestimate
Well be lord MAYOR and train fer shis Lon
don We can rig out right here. Our trous-
seau's here in shis hair trunk"
shall We get anyshing t. drink inquired
Abe, making temporary collection of his
wits with violent effort.
"Abel" the freezing severity OF Kent's tons
and manner would have been hoYelessly fatal
to early vegetables. "Abe. you've mary
good qualities-inorc OF em shan any man
know But degrading passion fur shtrong
drink is ruinin' you I'm your besht fren,
an shay it wish tearsh in M eyes Lemme
beg o You L reform ere it ish too late Be
ware of it, my fren, beware OF it. 1t shting-
eth like serpent. an biteth like a multiplier
Il mean an adder You haven't got NV
shuperb self-control, an SO yer only shafety
lies in total abstinence. Cheese it. nv fren,
cheese it on she sheductive but fatal lush
"Are we goin' out t meet she boyshf' in
quired Abe.
"Shertainly we are Yesshr. An we're
goin' out ash l proposed Yer shplendid
Teller, Abe continued Kent, with lofty
patronage. "A shplendid Teller, an do great
credit t yer 'portunities. But Y haven't had
my 'vantages of mingling constantly in plite
s'ciety, v know, Rough diamond, know,
nall that short o shing but lack polish an
easy grace. So I'll be the lord mayor an
y'll be the train UNDERESTIMATE
He lurched forward and came near falling
over the chair, but recovering he stiffened up
and gazed at that useful article of furniture
with a sternness that implied his belief that it
was a rascaIy blackleg trying to insinuate
itself into the circle of refinement and chaste
elegance Of which he was the particular orna-
ment
~Come, p" he resumed lies bedizen ourselves;
les assume tn shplendor 'propriate t tn ca
SION
When the troops marched in in the after
noon, they encountered at the bead Of the
crowd that met them at the crossing of the
creek just outside of town, man who seemed
filed with deep emotion, and clothed with
strange fancies. He wore a tall silk hat of
antique pattern, carefully brushed, which he
protected from the rays Of the sun with huge
blue cotton umbrella. A blue broadcloth
coat, with gilt buttons, sat jauntily over a
black satin vest, and nankeen trousers A
pair of gold spectacles reposed in magisterial
dignity about half WY down his nose, and
large silver headed cane in the left hand bal
anoed the umbrella in the right. BY the side
OF the man with rare veStments stood another
figure of even more limpness of general bear
ing, whose garb consisted of a soldiers uni
form pantaloons and wooden shirt-none too
clean-set off by black dress coat and white
linen vest
As the head of the column came up, he in
the blue broadcloth pulled off his hat and
spectacles, and addressed himself to speech:
Allow me, shir, to welcome you with
hoshpitable hands to a blcody-no, let HE
tender you, shir. the liberties of our city, and
reshoice shat she old banner which has braved
she battle hash
The column had stopped, and the captain
commanding the advance was listening pa
tiently to what he supposed was the address
OF an enthusiastic but eccentric old kentuck-
ian, when one of the sharp-eyed ones in the
company shouted out:
Il declare, its Kent Edwards and Abe
Bolton
The yell of laughter and applause at the
ludicrous masquerade shook the hills The
colonel rode up TO see what occasioned it He
recognized his two men, and his face darkened
with anger
"You Internal rascals,7 he shouted you
have been off plundering houses, have you. in
place of being with your company. III stop
this sort of thing mighty sudden. This regi-
ment shall not degrade itself by plundering
and robhing, if | have TO shoot every man in
It, Captain, arrest those men, and keep them
in close confinement until | can have them
tried and properly punished"